Afternoon
by Kikyo S. Phantomhive
Summary: This is a somewhat short story of Oichi, a member of Hideyoshi's Army, and her interactions with her fellow warriors as they head for Dragnor. Will she find more than just waging war? Finished, but receiving a second revision for assorted reasons.
1. The Monthly Meeting

We are Hideyoshi's Army, Hideyoshi's Militia, Hideyoshi's Team. Ransei would soon be completely under our rule, and what would happen then is still a mystery. We were working fast, though, especially since we had three armies: Hideyoshi's Party (the first army), Kazutoyo's Party (the third army), and Oichi's Army (the second army and my own).

Hideyoshi had decided to put me in charge of a second army after we took Violight and had Ginchiyo join us. He had said, "We have so many strong warriors and only so much space for one party! We should have two!" It did give us a huge advantage because we could take kingdoms twice as fast, but I never really wanted to lead a party.

I don't like Pokémon battle too much in the first place. It's just two Pokémon teams beating each-other up for the goal of victory and satisfaction of their trainers. I praise Jigglypuff whether she wins or losses, but some people, like Kanbei, are hardly kind to their Pokémon even when they do win. This all sickens me, but once we unite Ransei, I think some sort of legendary prophecy is going to be fulfilled, so I choose to fight and help Hideyoshi out.

Today each of the three armies is to send three or more representatives, including yourself, to a meeting. These meetings are held on the first day of every month to discuss plans. This month's destination was Terrera. I am going to have to decide who needs to go in about five minutes, because I procrastinated so much.

"Er, Oichi, have you decided who is fit to go to the meeting yet?" asks Terumoto, breaking my train of thought.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I'm still thinking about it," I reply.

"Okay, but you need to decide quickly," He advises, "We need to leave for the meeting really soon if we are to get there in time."

We have to leave early, because we are in Yaksha at the moment. I nod to him and work it out in my head: Kanbei is a jerk, but he is knowledgeable and helps me out a lot when I don't know what to say, plus he keeps track of things I don't. Who else will come? Magoichi, I suppose, will be a good choice, although he is a very flirty type.

I walk out into the main room, where everyone was awaiting my decision. Immediately, heads turn to look at me. The room had strange, dark ornaments hanging around, which made me feel anxious to leave, so I cut straight to the chase.

"I have decided that me, Kanbei, and Magoichi will come. I'll give you guys five minutes to get ready, so meet me in the front, okay?" they both nod and leave to get ready. I see the disappointed face of Go, the only other girl in the Second Army, and walk over to her. "Sorry, Go, but we need a girl to take care of the place while I'm gone," I joke, and she smiles lightly.

I walk to the front door and wait. The sun is high in the sky, but it still feels dark here, and a chilly, damp wind blows. Since the castle is in a valley, the sun disappears behind the mountains quicker, and large shadows cast over the town when the sun sets. Today, I will be glad to say goodbye to this miserable place as fast as I can.

After the two boys get ready, we set out along the coast until we get into the calm deserts of Terrera. It isn't long before I see the tall red castle amongst the sand, and quickly we enter. I make my way to the main hall, beckoned by the smell of beef. Upon entering, I see the other warriors and their Pokémon. I walk over to greet Hideyoshi first.

Hideyoshi is talking to a boy about my age wearing a white coat and a strange white hat. His brown hair isn't the most attended to. He crosses his arms behind his head and yawns.

"Can we make this meeting quick?" he says with an impatient tone.

"Yes, Oichi is here, so we are about to start," Hideyshi says and turns to me. "Are you ready? And who did you bring with you?"

"I am," I reply, "and I brought Kanbei and Magoichi."

"Kanbei is here?" the boy asks, looking at me with deep purple eyes. I nod. "Where?" I point to where I remember Kanbei last being, and he walks off.

"Who was that?" I ask Hideyoshi. I wasn't particularly interested, but he was somewhat of a peculiar character.

Hideyoshi smirks and replies, "That's Hanbei. Notice how he seems sleepy?" I nod, reminded of his lax posture. "He's always like that."

I blink at his words. Always sleepy? Would he fall asleep during their battles? Would he beckon the team along so he could get some beauty sleep in the afternoon? I shook off the thoughts; Hideyoshi was probably just exaggerating.

I decide to go greet Kazutoyo, the leader of the third army, before the meeting started. As I walk towards him, someone pokes me on the shoulder. I turn to see Ginchiyo. Despite this being a formal occasion, she is dressed in light armor and, as always, has a wary look in her black eyes.

"Hello Oichi, is the second army doing okay?" she asks. She purses her lips and looks around the room as she waits for my reply.

"Yes, we were successful last month in taking Yaksha," I say.

She clears her throat. "I thought you would want to know that I might be moved into the second army. If I am, then I'll probably be switched out with Go."

"Why?" I ask, a bit angry because Go was a good friend. "You're great on the battlefield."

"Because we have two electric-types in our team: my Luxio and Hanbei's Flaaffy," she glanced at Hanbei as she mentions him. "Of course, he also might move Hanbei."

I look at Hanbei, and imagine him being on our team. He seems like a lazy person, which is something we don't need anywhere in Jordan's Army. Why is he in the First Army? Either he's really powerful, or he isn't as lazy as he looks. In that case, his Flaaffy must have some power. I shake my head, telling myself not to judge him so much, but how can someone like him **not** be lazy?

"Everyone, we are about to start the meeting! Step around the table and we'll discuss battle plans," Hideyoshi announces. Everyone surrounds the table, and I end up with Ginchiyo to my left and Kanbei to my right. "Okay everyone, this month's big goal is to secure Valora and Dragnor. My party is going to take Valora, and…" he continues to explain the goal. I look down the table at Hanbei, who is sitting next to Kanbei. He watches Hideyoshi, looking like a typical high-school student during the last few minutes of school. "Oichi? Do you have a Pokémon in your team who can take care of that?" Hideyoshi asks, and everyone looks at me expectantly.

"Um…" I say, and glance at Kanbei.

He looks at Hideyoshi and says, "We don't have any ice-types or dragon-types, so I suggest we do a temporary switch out, unless you wish for a possible change in plans instead." He gives me an unpleasant look, and I turn away, embarrassed.

I listen for the rest of decision of the battle plans. Our team would be taking a warrior with a Cubchoo, so we could have a type advantage when we attack Dragnor. I try to think about the battle, but for some reason I have a hard time doing so.

"Oichi," Hideyoshi says, "I have gotten word they have a Shinx with them as well. Do you have anything for an electric-type?"

"Well… Carnivine and Petilil are grass-type, so they aren't strongly affected by them. I think that will be fine."

Hideyoshi nods to me and then says, "Ginchiyo. Com'ere."

Ginchiyo walks over and talks quietly with Hideyoshi for a moment. Afterwards, Hideyoshi turns back to us and explains, "Masamune from Oichi's Party and Hanbei from mine will switch places for this battle."

"Why?" Hanbei demands immediately.

"Because Flaaffy is going to get pawned by that Quagsire again! And it won't affect a flying-type, plus the-"

"The range of flying-types would be good on the jumbled battlefield at Valora, I know. But flying-type moves are resisted by steel-types, so it won't be useful in any other ways."

"But my Monferno can pawn the steel-type!"

"And Monferno is weak to ground-type."

"So take a flying-type to fix that!"

As I listen to them bicker, I realized something. Hanbei is an absolute genius. He can take the battlefield into the palm of his hand like a chess board, analyzing each piece and deciding what would fit best. Also, he works well with Hideyoshi. Though the two argue, they quickly work out how Staravia could highly benefit them, and eventually agree to the plan.

"Okay, now that that is covered up, we can decide battle plans for Oichi and the rest of my party. Hanbei, you and Oichi and Magoichi discuss it, then." Hideyoshi commands.

So, we talk the battle over. I try to suggest things, but every time I do Hanbei immediately points out the biggest flaw, then revises my idea to fit in. Finally, I give an idea he finds good, and pretty soon we have a piece of paper with the plans for the battle spread across it.

"As long as Dratini doesn't manage to get over here and use Dragon Rage, I'm sure this plan will work," Hanbei concluded, swiping his eyes over the paper. He glances at me, and I feel a strange jump in my stomach when he does. He turns to go tell Hideyoshi we had finished, and I look at my shaky hand.

"What is your problem?" I ask myself quietly, "He just looked at you."

Finally, after everyone completely decides what we are going to do, we leave to prepare. We are to go back to Yaksha, then spend the next two days traveling along the eastern coast until we reach Spectra, which I have heard is even spookier than Yaksha. Spectra is pretty much the only kingdom we have that borders Dragnor, though, so we have no choice. Thus, the four of us travel back to Yaksha. Once we are there, Hanbei explains to Masamune why he will be with Hideyoshi's Party for this month, and we all try to sleep in the eerie black bedrooms that smell like pepper and cinnamon and have beds as hard as rocks.

After a lot of tossing and turning, I become too restive and get out of bed to wander the castle for a while. As I walk, I hear an unusual sound: the steady breath of a sleeping person. I crawl slowly into the room the sound was coming from and see someone sleeping as though they were laying on a wonderful memory-foam mattress bed with the most silky soft sheets and fluffy pillows in all of Ransei, rather than a lump of coal with a sheet of tin foil and some rocks in the darkest part of Ransei: Hanbei.

**Thank you for reading! Please review! I love reviews, especially those with criticism.**


	2. Traveling

I walk over slowly and examine the sleeping boy. _He's dressed in the same thing he was wearing today!_ I observe. He even wears his hat. I examine him, sleeping soundly. I should not be surprised, he did seem pretty tired today, but I'm not kidding, the beds in this place are horrible.

I jump as Hanbei stirs, humming softly. I stand, rooted to the spot, and wait until I hear his consistent breathing before I creep to the door. I return to my bed and reluctantly lay back down, now feeling more awake than before. Finally, after what feels like hours, I drift into a fitful sleep, having constant, senseless bad dreams, most consisting of lots of irregular shadow movements (as in the shadows aren't doing the same thing their owners are) and Duskull.

Then, I have a somewhat different dream. I see that I am in Violight's castle, in a dark room. I hear a steady downpour of rain pounding the roof angrily. I jump as thunder lights up the room, showing me that Kanbei is in the room with me. If this wasn't a dream, I would be scared, but instead I ask him why we we're here.

"It's his funeral," Kanbei explains. I notice all the dark shadows in the back of the room seem to be moving, and when lightning illuminates the room once more, I see that the shadows are Duskull, and they all jump at me, screeching distorted cries.

I shoot up as I awaken from the nightmare. As I recall it, I feel a sense of de-ja-vu. As de-ja-vu always is, though, I have no memory of any part of the dream elsewhere. I get out of bed, dress, and saunter down the hall to the kitchen. I see Kanbei and Go in the room. Go sips some coffee from a black mug, and she frowns. There's probably no creamer. I get some orange juice and toast and eat, waiting for everyone else to wake up.

First, Magoichi stumbles out of his room, yawning and muttering in his morning mood. Then, Terumoto emerges happily, followed by his Petilil. He's a morning person. Finally… I would like to say that Hanbei comes out, but after a bit of waiting it is clear he isn't coming. I walk over to his room and, of course, he is laying there just as he was before. I walk over to his bed. I am about to start shaking him awake, but he opens his eyes and looks at me. I move my hands back to my sides and look at him.

"Hanbei, you need to get up or we won't make it to Viperia by the end of today, and it will take us **three** days to get to Spectra!" I exclaim, not loud enough to sound as demanding as I was.

He groans and says, "Hideyoshi just wants to ensure we get there five hours early. Viperia isn't-"

"We should have extra time in case something happens!" I yell, but it comes out like a whine.

Hanbei rolls over and sighs, "Fine."

I walk out of the room and wait for him in the kitchen. After a minute, he finally strolls into the room, yawning. We leave quickly, Hanbei and Magoichi complaining the whole while.

"I didn't get enough sleep the night before either!" Hanbei would whine.

"Viperia is full of poison and Spectra is full of ghosts!" Magoichi would protest.

Somehow, though, we make it to the border between Viperia and Yaksha. I tell everyone to take a rest, and we all loiter under the shade of trees for a few minutes. Hanbei lays down under a big oak tree and closes his eyes.

"Don't tell me you're sleeping again!" I say.

"A quick siesta isn't going to hurt anyone," he mumbles. I sigh.

"Just… Just get up when I tell you too, okay?" I start walking away, but turn around to look at him again. He smirked faintly, his eyes closed. He seemed so satisfied, calm, content. Would he forget the battle plans with all this carelessness?

After we all get rested, we begin the rest of the trail to Viperia. The cloudy forests are very ominous, but it isn't until I see the castle that I am really gaping. The castle has a poison moat! And when we enter, we see purple mist giving everything a grave hue. I take a deep breath; I can't show weakness in front of my comrades.

Dark-green vines grow along the castle walls, and though most of it is made of wood, two huge, still cogs loomed as well. I dawdle into the castle. On the inside, we found a ninja playing around with a bottle of wine.

"Is this Oichi and Hanbei?" he asked.

"I am Oichi, and this is Hanbei," I reply.

"Ah, you're as pretty as Hideyoshi said you were!" the ninja states.

I blush lightly and squeak, "Thank you." I've never handled compliments very well.

The ninja shows each of us to our rooms. Mine has a perfect overlook of the spooky forests, but the room isn't bad otherwise. There isn't any poison in it. As I sit on my bed, I hear a frantic knocking on the door. I walk over calmly and open it, and immediately Hanbei darts past me. I look down the hall, surprised, and see Kanbei turn the corner. He doesn't look happy.

I close the door and turn around. Hanbei hides behind my bed, looking at me with innocent eyes. I momentarily feel a jump in my heartbeat, but shake it away.

"What did you do?" I hiss.

He ducks further behind my bed. "I-I stole something from him. I was just gonna look at it, but he got really mad and I just ran," he explains.

"Why did you come to my room?" I ask.

"I didn't know whose room this was!" he argues.

A slow, rough knocking on the door shuts us both up. I look at him. He smirks at me and holds up a bottle of something white. I lean in and notice that it's make-up*, and I can't help but giggle.

"Hanbei, are you in there?" Kanbei sounds very angry.

"Quick!" I whisper, "Hide under the bed."

I walk over to the door and open it slowly. "What?" I ask. I am met with a very enraged and even somewhat sweaty Kanbei.

"Is Hanbei in there?" he snaps.

"No."

Kanbei peers around my room suspiciously, then walks away. I close the door slowly, then turn around. Hanbei crawls out from under my bed. He smirks again, his purple eyes shining.

"We fooled him, huh?" he says.

Under an impulse, I hold up my hand to give him a high-five at the same time he does. When our hands make contact, he grabs my hand just before it slides out of my reach, causing me to gasp. He lets go of my hand, still smiling thoroughly.

I feel my face flush and ask, "Wha-what was that?"

"Something we like to do in Ignis," he said, winking.

"Are you from Ignis?" I ask, surprised.

"Hah! You didn't know? Me and Kanbei are the junior warlords of Ignis!" he declares, "Us and Hideyoshi are the original team!" Suddenly, his smile fades. "Oichi… don't you remember me?"

Surprised by his sudden mood change, I frantically try to remember something, but nothing comes to my mind. I suppose if he was the junior warlord of a neighboring kingdom to mine, he would expect me to remember. But he looked hurt. I pursed my lips.

"I'm sorry, but I don't," I finally admit.

He frowns and looks away from me. "You must have terrible memory or something."

"I have to go," he says and walks away, leaving me by myself to feel like a jerk. _What is he talking about?_ I wonder. I sigh, and hear a higher-pitched echo. I turn to see Jigglypuff sitting on my bed.

"Oh, Jigglypuff, what did I do?" I ask her, not expecting an answer. But she stands up and starts strolling down my bed slowly, singing something. Then, she starts laughing her silly laugh, and rolling on the bed a bit. I just stare at her, confused.

"Puff!" she scoffs when she notices I don't understand. She points at the door, then points at me, then repeats her act.

"Do you remember something I don't?" I ask, trying hard to grasp what she was trying to tell me, but I just didn't remember anything.

We both lay down hopelessly, Jigglypuff understanding me. I get up and walk around the castle a bit, just like I did in Yaksha, peering into Hanbei's room to see him sleeping.

I don't recall dreaming when I wake up the next morning. I trudge into the kitchen, feeling like I was still in Yaksha, with the repetitious and gloomy feel of the castle. But when I enter the kitchen, I'm surprised to see Kanbei and Hanbei talking. They stop when I enter, both glaring at me. I remember the events from yesterday, and awkwardly wave to them.

It isn't long before everyone is up and we head through more weird forests. The group is strangely quiet today, as though everyone is trying to keep a secret from me. Maybe they are. We reach the border, and I notice no change in the biome or climate of the forest the path we took rode through. As we travel, though, I notice a very gradual change in the noises I hear. Instead of hisses and squawks, I hear less noise, except for the occasional rustle of a bush or hoot of an owl. It gives a very spooky mood to the area.

It feels like forever before we finally reach Spectra's castle. It is an ordinary shape for a castle of Ransei, but it has lots of creepy statues of Misdreavus and… I literally fall onto my rear when I see the floating blue wisps. There are six or seven, all floating around wherever they pleased.

"Geez, if this scares you, you should take a look at the person next to you," comment Hanbei sarcastically, "He's **really** the most terrifying thing on the planet."

I blush and try to calm myself down. The embarrassment helps me be braver. The inside of the castle resembles a haunted mansion, and nobody is there to greet us as usual. In fact, I haven't seen a single human since I crossed the border. We all choose rooms for ourselves. After I settle down, I decide to see if anyone lives in the small village I saw near the castle.

The village is a minute walk from the castle, and of course, it's a ghost town there. As I'm walking amongst the quiet place, I feel someone grab my shoulder suddenly, digging their fingernails into my skin. I scream and turn to see, of course, Hanbei. He explodes into laughter, and I blush again.

After a long time, he finally gets over it and catches his breath. He looks around the village and says, "I should live here. Everyone goes to sleep so early. I mean, the sun has just touched the horizon!"

"Are you sure it isn't just that nobody lives here?" I asked, still shaken.

"Eh, the crops look attended to," he said. "Oh, but ghosts need to eat to, huh?"

I laugh lightly at his joke, then ask, "Why are you here."

"I dunno. Why are you here?" he replies.

"I wanted to see if anyone lives here."

"Well, let's find out!" he says, and walks to the nearest door.

Before I can stop him, Hanbei knocks on it. A man slowly opens the door, then mutters something to him. The man then slams the door.

Hanbei walks back over to me and says, "Well, people live here. You can go now, since that's why you came, right?"

I leave, even though I want to know why he wanted me to so badly. I walk back to my room, kill some time, and then lay down to sleep. Just as I'm drifting off, I hear a growl. I stay still for about twenty seconds before looking around my room. I flicker the lights on. Nothing.

I had hoped this would be the first night I didn't wander the castle before sleeping, but my wish isn't coming true. I walk down the halls, guessing the growl must have been my imagination. I can hear snoring from all the rooms I remember people calling. I don't hear anything from Hanbei's room. The rooms here are closer together; I suppose it's because Magoichi snores so loudly I couldn't hear Hanbei's quiet breathing.

I peer into the room, then sneak over to his bed for the third time. Why do I do this? The question stopped me halfway across the room. Why do I always come to look at him sleeping? I think about it for a while. The answer hits me like a car hitting a deer.

"T-there's nothing wrong," I tell myself, "with thinking he's cute, right?"

I shouldn't refuse to tell myself something, but sometimes telling yourself you have a crush on someone (maybe someone like Hanbei) can be really difficult. So I stick with the thought that he's cute and nothing more. I start to make the rest of the way too his bed.

"What?" I jump as Hanbei speaks.

"Oh u-uh…" I discover it's **really** hard to talk to someone you just realized you like.

I suddenly wonder why Hanbei would still be awake. Usually, he's fast asleep by now. As I look at him sitting up in bed, I see his hat laid lazily on his lamp. The fact that he looks even better without his hat off isn't helping me talk to him. I flush red and look away.

"Why are you in my room?" he asks again.

"Uh… I'm… I'm sorry," I have literally no excuse, and under the pressure of his deep purple eyes, I couldn't think, either. So, I walked quickly out of his room and back to my room.

***I am a firm believer that Kanbei wears make-up. I will accept weird eye colors, but nobody has a white face, nobody has white and black hair, split in the middle. That's just weird. (Also, when I wrote this chapter, I was unaware that a part of the game highlights his white face, and I don't want to change the only truly funny thing in the story.)**


	3. The Battle Against Nobunaga

The first thing that I think when I wake up the next morning is: "What in the world makes, of all people, Hanbei the one I end up liking? He is a lazy, ignorant, silly boy who loves sleeping more than anything else!" I proceed to berate myself, saying I wasn't serious about having a crush on Hanbei, that it was just a stupid teenage infatuation.

But when I walk into the dining room and see everyone except for me awake, my eyes go straight to Hanbei and my heart starts pounding again. I sit down slowly and take some scrambled eggs, refraining myself from looking at him. Instead of showing any signs of embarrassment or confusion, Hanbei just talks with Kanbei about some strategy or another. Maybe he was too sleepy to remember what he saw? I hope so, but unfortunately, that isn't the case.

"So, Oichi," Hanbei says through a mouthful of food. "Why were you in my room last night?" both of us swallow, though for different reasons.

Everyone at the table then looks at me suspiciously. In return, I blush and look down. It may be a natural reaction, but one that certainly is not helping my unspoken case. However, a devious idea pops in my head. I look up confidently and reply, "What were you doing in that village yesterday after I left?"

Hanbei flinches and looks to the side indignantly. "Th- That's none of your business."

I frown, deprived of my only idea. "I just… wanted to see if you were sleeping."

Hanbei smiles lightly, Kanbei rolls his eyes, and Magoichi snickers. Then, everyone returns to their meals as if nothing happened, and eventually we all end up talking about our strategy. Once everything is finalized, we all head off to our rooms to prepare.

As I am prepping Jigglypuff, I hear a weak knocking on my door. When I answer the door, I see Hanbei and his Flaaffy standing behind it. Immediately, he looks at me with a guilty smile.

"Hey," he says. He seems to be trying his hardest to keep eye contact with me. "Uh… I'm sorry about asking you that in front of everyone. It's just-" he finally can't hold my gaze any longer and looks away sheepishly- "I didn't think that maybe you didn't have a simple answer."

I stare at him for a few second, which starts to make him tense up uncomfortably. Finally, I soften my gaze and reply, "Well… I forgive you."

He sighs, a relieved expression plastered on his face. Then, he suddenly changes, and gives me a mischievous grin, which worries me. "I'd like to know the real reason you came in my room, though."

I blush profusely. There is a long, tense silence as he awaits my answer. Part of me starts to think the best solution is to slam the door in his face.

Instead, I try a more desperate plan. "D-don't you think it's about time to go?"

"Oichi, we have half an hour or so. You always try to change the subject," he points out. After another pause, he says, "If you're not going to answer, I won't make you, princess."

The mocking way he says "princess" brings a familiar, yet unfamiliar sensation. The kind of sensation you remember from somewhere, yet you don't know where. I try to grasp it for a few seconds. And then it hits me.

* * *

I was taking a stroll through the park in fall, searching for Pokémon. I was eight. I had gone looking for something I didn't expect to find: my perfect link. As I walked down the dirt path stretching through the great forest of Aurora, I heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. I walked over, ready to attack it with my Minccino.

"Who's there?" I asked confidently.

Out of the bushes peeked a young boy dressed in a very casual sort of wear, a bit thin for fall, and a white cap, which was too big for him, with a yellow pattern on it. A Charmander peeked out as well, holding its flaming tail away from the foliage. He gazed at me with sleepy purple eyes.

"Hello! What's-" he began to say.

"Why are you here?" I demanded.

"I was just looking for something! Wait, do you know the warlord of Aurora?" he responded.

"Ah… I am Oichi, the warlord of Aurora!" I lied, "Now get out of here, unless you are a townsfolk!"

He hopped out of the bushed and said, "I'm taking this kingdom! I'm Hanbei of… well, this will be my kingdom!"

So, we engaged into a battle. It was quick, and my Minccino ended the victor. Hanbei then solemnly explained that he had actually been playing hide-and-seek and he ran off really far, and eventually found himself lost in the forest.

"And, I'm really tired!" he wailed.

So, I decided to show him back to our castle, because, as usual, he looked really tired. On the way back, I told him I wasn't the warlord of anything, and he told me he had figured that out already and was going to battle the real warlord of Aurora after his nap, and also that he had gone easy on me. Although, he neither challenged the warlord nor took a nap there, because he was immediately escorted back to Ignis.

But that's not the end of our story. I remembered sometimes going to Ignis to hang out with Hanbei, and eat great meat, and have the fiercest pillow fights I've ever involved myself in (I tended to ambush him, which wasn't hard since he slept like a Pokemon). And when I became a junior warlord, he started to call me "princess" for some reason. The truth is, these trips became less and less frequent. I eventually forgot meeting Hanbei, and finally forgot him altogether, the memories lost within the hustle and bustle of my duties as a Junior Warlord.

* * *

"How could I forget that?" I whisper in shame.

Hanbei immediately perks up like a cat. "Forget what?"

I, too embarrassed for comfort, bow slightly. "I'm sorry. I can't believe I forgot the time we spent together as kids."

He blinks at me. Then, he says, "Heh, I kinda thought you had a crush on me, but I guess you would remember if you did, right?"

I am stupefied with embarrassment as I reply, "Not back then I didn't!"

I then cover my mouth as what I said starts to sink in. Hanbei bites his lip and looks at me with a very surprised face, his face dusted with pink.

"You should probably get back to preparing," he says quickly, saving us both.

"Right," I agree half-heartedly and close the door. Now in the privacy of my room, I silently curse myself for not slamming the door in his face earlier. I try to pay attention to my original reminders and preparations for the battle, but all I can think about is Hanbei, Hanbei, Hanbei. I eventually just lay on my bed, lost in thought.

Once it is time to go, I leave my room hastily, and knock on each person's door. When I reach Hanbei's door, I knock and head to the next door without waiting for an answer. Everyone emerges, prepared with their Pokémon, and thus we begin our march to Dragnor. Everyone is quiet, and the air is tense with excitement. Except for Hanbei's constant yawning, which begins to spreads around.

We trek through the forest, swerving past large lakes and swamps. The landscape becomes dry and barren as the rocky terrains of Dragnor replace the ghastly, swampy forests of Spectra. The massive black and gold citadel of Dragnor finally comes into view.

Upon arrival, we see Nobunaga has gathered his army in front of the castle gates. He was expecting us. He smirks, as though pitying our weak army. I won't show weakness to him. I will remain strong, for all the preparation put into this day cannot go to waste.

"Ah, so Monkey has finally decided to send his sad little army to challenge Nobunaga?" Nobunaga scoffs.

"Brother, I request a battle. Now," I command bravely. I could feel his piercing glare, as though it was penetrating my very soul. He smirks. I compare the way he smirks to Hanbei: his are a strange combination, mocking yet thoughtful, while Hanbei's just radiate mischief.

"Well then, come. Nobunaga has been expecting you!" he declares. I feel a chill run down my spine. I try to shake off my fear by thinking of other things. Like how I hate it when he refers to himself in third-person.

It feels like mere seconds before our Pokémon are on the battlefield. I line up all the Pokémon with our battle plans. We're ready.

The battlefield of Dragnor is a massive, winding chamber with shifting nodes in it. These nodes do different things, mostly damage, when approached. Our Pokémon advance quickly, careful to avoid the nodes. Nobunaga's army spreads out, evading damage as they draw closer.

The first attack is brought out, done just as we had planned. Cubchoo sprays Garchomp with an icy attack, which is returned with a strong dragon attack from the unsuccessfully frozen Pokémon. Small clusters of Pokemon gather across the field, exchanging attacks back and forth. My Jigglypuff advance alongside Cubchoo, working to slap and freeze our opponents to death. Petilil weaves through the clusters, making its way to Luxio. Hanbei's Flaaffy paralysis multiple Pokémon at once.

Our strategy is going as planned. Nobunaga's Pokémon have fallen for all the little traps weaved in, and we're dealing damage quickly in addition to using the nodes against them. Cubchoo's high rate of freezing and super-effective move is stopping the dragon-types in their tracks.

We reach the climax of our part of the plan: taking down Deino. Hanbei uses his warrior skill, Added Bonus, to nearly ensure that we will freeze the dangerous dragon. We aren't successful in freezing it, for this turn, but our strategy suddenly breaks in two with that failure. I flash back to the castle in Terrera, remembering that there was one fault in our strategy that we simply couldn't fix, and we had only hoped that Nobunaga's army wouldn't realize it.

Dratini managed to crawl over to our small party surrounding Hydriegon and takes down Cubchoo with the simple use of Dragon Rage. Hanbei and I exchange a glance of worry. The only remaining Pokémon on the battlefield are Jigglypuff and Flaaffy on our side, and Dratini, Deino, and Fracture on the other. Jigglypuff had no chance against two dragon-types, especially one with a move like Dragon Rage and another with Dragon Pulse.

Flaaffy takes out Fracture with a well-placed Discharge, and the remaining two quickly attack Jigglypuff, leaving her barely conscious. But we have one last trick up our sleeve.

I begin to sing a soft Japanese song. The song is very short, but it is my Warrior Skill, and it heals Jigglypuff and Flaaffy. The two renewed Pokémon began fighting nearly side-by-side, Jigglypuff keeping her distance to ensure it wouldn't get hit by Discharge, and sending a barrage that slowly wears the two dragons down. But it is only a matter of time before Jigglypuff is taken down, leaving the poor pink Flaaffy by itself. I watch the last few turns with wide-eyes, alongside the other defeated party members.

Hanbei looks extremely doubtful as he commands Flaaffy forward. He barely defeats Hydriegon, but Dratini is still standing, though with a paralysis. We all expose our nervous habits unconsciously as we watch the remaining two Pokémon brawl. Dratini is worked down, almost defeated, but out of the blue, Ranmaru uses a potion.

Hanbei scoffs angrily. I exhale through gritted teeth. The rest of the team use their worst sportsmanship skills to show their displeasure. But the battle isn't over yet. Hanbei throws out his own potion, sparing him one extra turn. Just as the Dratini is about to finish us, luck finally reaches our side when Dratini's paralysis takes effect, leaving it motionless. Hanbei takes advantage of the opportunity and commands Flaaffy forth vigorously. The Pokémon is influenced by his vigor, and hits the Dratini with a powerful discharge, finishing the battle in our favor.

After a few baffled seconds, we all begin celebrating, punching the air and sending cries of victory in Nobunaga's direction. Nobunaga, defeated and humiliated, leaves with Ranmaru in tow. A few reproachful members of his army decide to join us, probably because they wanted to be on the winning team in the end.

We settle ourselves into the castle, relieved and exhausted. I was glad that I would finally be able to stay in one castle for a while. Plus, in my opinion, Dragnor's interior isn't particularly scary, and I can sleep there with few problems. For the first time in a firm three days, I sleep with no interruptions that night.

* * *

**If you've read this far, I thank you, and I promise the next chapter will be the last. Again, reviews are always welcome!**


	4. Fireworks

It has been one month since the day we took Dragnor. The whole of Ransei is united, and all of us warlords were given freedom among the kingdoms. Naturally, I chose to head to Aurora. We still had responsibilities, being King and Queens in our own right, though we certainly had a lot more free time on our hands. I was very happy to be back to my old bedroom and friends, and being able to spend time with them again. Though, it hasn't felt the same as before. Has the journey changed me somehow?

There is one thing that just won't leave my mind, even as I read and work: Hanbei. I constantly think about the awkward conversations we had exchanged over the course of the journey. I want to talk to him or at least see him, but I don't know where he is. He isn't in Ignis, so truly he could be anywhere in Ransei. Or maybe he left the region altogether? I decide that I shouldn't bother looking for him.

I hear a knocking at my door, and a small twinge of hope yanks at my gut. I pace quickly to the door, and on the other side is a female servant.

"Jordan requests you outside," she says. I sigh and trudge my way to the doors of the castle.

Once I open the doors, I hear the calm ruffling of leaves in the light breeze. Jordan **(Heroine)** shows me to a spot where an old, wooden swing sits amidst the grass, supported by two trees. Once she sits me down, she immediately jumps into a conversation.

"I've heard reports of a spy in Aurora. Many people say that this spy is wearing foreign clothes and that he roams near the castle," she expounds.

I scowl. "We are at a time of peace, Jordan. I don't know why anyone would want to spy on us right now."

Jordan nods. "Yes, but you know that this peace won't last long. It will grow unstable when Hideyoshi passes and the kingdoms will begin fighting again."

I look at my feet. She is right; this peace will not last forever. Soon, our kingdom would be just another army in a maelstrom of battle and anarchy. I have been trying to avoid this ugly truth from myself for so long, but I know I can't hide from the battlefield forever.

"If you see this spy, please confront him," Jordan requests. I nod my approval, and she walks back to the castle. I stay where I am, lost in thought, until I hear an unusually loud rustling amongst the nearby trees. I turn to look, and I see a pair of beady black eyes and short pink fur. I jump back, surprised by the Flaaffy standing next to me on the swing.

I study the Flaffy. It looks like a wild Flaaffy, but I notice a deep cut on its forehead, hidden slightly by its wool. I gasp. This Flaaffy is Hanbei's! I look around, searching for the familiar white coat and hat, but I catch not even a glimpse of him. Sighing unhappily, I scratch the Flaaffy behind its ears, causing it to smile at me.

"Why do they think I'm a spy?" I jump at the familiar voice, and begin looking around again. I stand up and dash around the swing to see Hanbei leaning against one of the trees. His purple eyes seem to shimmer from the sunlight.

"Because you're sneaking around," I reply sharply, aware that he must have snuck up on me.

"What?" he cocked his head slightly. "I haven't been sneaking. In fact, I was just lying under this tree when you and Jordan walked over here. You didn't even notice me."

I blink. I had never bothered look behind us, and it was quite possible he could have been here the whole time. But I still didn't understand everything. "Why are you here, then?"

I see a slight brightening in his eyes. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you." He grins at me. "Do you want to come see something cool?"

I stare at him. I wasn't sure what he wanted me to see, but by the hopeful, yet mischievous glint in his usually moody eyes, I saw that he anticipated a yes. So I agreed. He immediately leads me down a path stretching by the fields where they raise cattle. His Flaaffy bleats along with the Mareep as we pass them. Pretty soon, the path goes into a thin, almost dead woods bordering Aurora and Ignis.

I have been to Ignis before, and I never liked its rocky, unbearably hot atmosphere. But I probably won't be able to find my way back even if I try, so I follow him along the scarcely viewable path. We emerge on a high plateau overlooking the village of brick houses surrounding the castle. I see people resting in the famous hot springs from here. The town seems unusually active, especially since it is evening.

"What's going on?" I ask Hanbei as I stare over the town.

"Today we're celebrating our victory," Hanbei explains with a melancholy tone.

"Don't you want to celebrate?" I ask him, confused.

"Nah, everyone's just going to get drunk anyway," he laughs. I don't find it funny.

"So, why did you bring me here?" I inquire.

"There is one thing they do whenever there's a celebration like this…" he gazes over the horizon, where the sun is beginning to touch the mountains. Then, he sits down, his feet dangling over the edge of the plateau. I sit tentatively next to him, finding the feeling scary, yet strangely fun. Perhaps it is just the tension.

We sit in silence. I find it awkward, but Hanbei hums quietly, swinging his feet impatiently as we wait for something to happen. He keeps his gaze set on the horizon, so I stare there, too. Finally, I ask him why he wanted me to see whatever was about to happen, too curious.

"Because I…" he pauses as though he can't find the right words, "I know you'll like it." I glance at him, feeling like my question was left unanswered. He continues to stare, and the sun was almost under the horizon. So I decide to be patient.

He stretches and watches the last sliver of the sun disappear, taking its light with it. He smirks at its departure. I stare at the dark overlook, waiting. And then I hear a faint, familiar squealing. The sound slowly decreased in pitch, finally ending in a loud, crackling bang. I fill my eyes with the sight of a bright red firework exploding over the castle. A few more follow it, bursting into assorted colors. Fireworks are very uncommon forms of celebration in Aurora, but I love them. How did Hanbei know this?

I watch as fireworks will the sky with seemingly endless beauty. They burst into assorted shapes and sizes, some surprising me. I smile at Hanbei, and he smiles at me with an oddly kind smile, neither playful nor humored. I force myself to tear my eyes from him, looking back into the sky.

After a few more minutes pass, the fireworks still light the sky. I glance at Hanbei. He watches the fireworks, his eyelids beginning to droop. He blinks harshly, forcing himself to stay awake. I can't suppress a giggle. He turns to me, looking surprised.

"If you're tired, we can go," I suggest. "I've seen enough."

He nods. "Let me show you back to Aurora first." he stands up and leads me through the trees slowly.

"Are you sure you can make it back to Ignis without collapsing?" I ask sarcastically.

"I don't think I'll make it," he says, sounding almost honest, and by the way he was walking I almost believed it. Once the forest starts getting thicker, he flops down next to a tree. "Think you can make it from here?" he asks me, exhaling.

I notice that I feel tired myself. I lean down to sit next to him. "Maybe not."

His voice slurs slightly as though he is drifting off to sleep. "I don't want to go back to warring with other kingdoms. It looks like Aurora is already preparing for it by-" he pauses to yawn, "by the way they treated me." He lays down in the grass.

I lay down next to him. "Neither do I. I'd rather just live peacefully."

Hanbei curls his fingers around mine. "Oichi," he whispers, his breath tickling my ear, "I really like you."

I sit in a surprised silence, my stomach dancing happily with a feeling I have never experienced before. I smile, cuddling up next to Hanbei. "I like you, too."

"I've been thinking," He explains, "that I could have won that battle in Dragnor without using a potion, if I had changed just one little thing about our plan. But that day I couldn't think, and even while we were battling I kept looking at you."

"It's just one potion," I claim, feeling consciousness slip from my grasp.

Hanbei wraps his arm around me, holding my hand, drawing me closer. We lay together in silence. I feel his grip on my hand loosen, and slowly I also drift into a deep, relaxed sleep.


End file.
